No Persa? No problem.
Northwestern (1-0) overcame the absence of starting quarterback Dan Persa and defeated Boston College (0-1) 24-17 in the team’s opening game of the 2011 season.
Kain Colter, who started in place of Persa, completed 17 of 24 passes for 197 yards. He added 71 yards on the ground, including Northwestern’s first touchdown of the season late in the first half.
Persa was ruled out of the game just a couple of hours before kickoff. The quarterback, recovering from an Achilles injury sustained last season, did not dress in uniform.
Though Colter did not pass for any touchdowns and threw one costly interception, the ‘Cats were able to move the ball successfully on the ground -– something that eluded the team last season. Northwestern racked up 227 yards rushing throughout the game, and held Boston College to 104.
Of Boston College’s 104 rushing yards, 69 came on the first play from scrimmage on a long run by Eagles running back Andre Williams. Northwestern’s leading rusher was Mike Trumpy, who carried the ball 15 times for 85 yards and a score.
Though BC held a 10-3 lead late in the first half, Northwestern rallied and scored three unanswered touchdowns to take a 24-10 lead into the fourth quarter. Boston College scored one touchdown to narrow the gap to 24-17, but the Eagles were unable to score on a final drive attempt at the end of the game.
Boston College drove deep into Northwestern territory on their final drive, reaching as far as the Wildcats’ 19-yard line. But the Northwestern defense kept the Eagles out of the endzone to preserve their victory.
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